title: Central and peripheral visual performance in myopes: contact lenses versus spectacles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Myopia is known to degrade visual performance with both optical and retinal changes implicated. Whether contact lenses or spectacles provide better visual performance for myopes is still under debate. The purpose of this study was to examine central and peripheral visual function in myopic subjects corrected with contact lenses versus spectacles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Size thresholds were measured at 13 locations for 20 myopic subjects (mean spherical equivalent refractive error (SE): -6.43±1.22 D and cylinder power: -0.23±0.22 D) corrected with contact lenses (new etafilcon A contact lens, fitted 15 min prior to measurements) versus spectacles. Measurements were taken at both low (δl/l=14%) and high (δl/l=100%) contrast levels. The data were analysed using one way repeated-measures ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Size thresholds increased with eccentricity in a similar manner for both forms of optical correction. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed no statistically significant difference in central and peripheral visual performance between the two forms of correction for both low and high contrast tasks. The outcome remained the same following correction for spectacle magnification.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eye care practitioners can be confident that modern soft contact lenses do not impair visual performance compared to spectacle lenses for the majority of myopes.
authors.affiliation: Bradford School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom. a.ehsaei@bradford.ac.uk
authors.forename: Asieh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ehsaei
authors.forename: Catharine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chisholm
authors.forename: Jessica C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: MacIsaac
authors.forename: Edward A H
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mallen
authors.forename: Ian E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Pacey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D005139:Eyeglasses; D006801:Humans; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017755:Prosthesis Fitting; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult